OPEN DATA. CLEAR PROVENANCE.

Know what you’re looking at.

Every layer has a source, a time frame and a set of limitations. Explore the data behind Happy Orbis.

5 connected visual layers Source-level attributionAccess reviewed 2026-09-09

Dataset / layer	Provider	Coverage & resolution	Latest snapshot	Access
Seafloor & bathymetryCOMPOSITE	NASA / EMODnet	Global context / European detailVisual basemap; EMODnet DTM ~115 m at equator	2024	Connected
Sea surface temperatureMODELLED	NASA JPL / PO.DAAC	Global0.25° analysis grid	2026-09-07	Connected
Temperature anomalyMODELLED	NASA JPL / PO.DAAC	Global0.25° analysis grid	2026-09-07	Connected
Chlorophyll-aSATELLITE RETRIEVAL	NASA Ocean Biology / GIBS	GlobalNominal ~1 km at nadir; imagery resampled	2026-09-09	Connected
Sea surface salinitySATELLITE RETRIEVAL	NASA JPL / PO.DAAC	GlobalGridded, multi-day composite	2026-09-05	Connected
Ocean currentsMODELLED	Copernicus Marine	GlobalProduct-dependent; see provider	Not connected	Not connected
Dissolved oxygenNOT CONNECTED	BGC-Argo / Copernicus Marine	Depth-resolved profilesProfiles and model grids	Not connected	Not connected

Seafloor & bathymetry

A view of the ocean floor. NASA shaded relief provides global context; EMODnet adds bathymetric detail in European seas.

Dataset: BlueMarble_ShadedRelief_Bathymetry + EMODnet DTM 2024
Licence / commercial use: NASA open imagery; EMODnet CC BY 4.0. Follow the linked provider terms; access does not imply endorsement.
Update frequency: Versioned releases
Access method: Allowlisted WMS tile requests, viewport subsetting and cache. No user API key needed for imagery.
Cost & reliability: Public imagery access; application hosting costs are separate. No upstream availability guarantee.
Fallback: Cached data retain their original dates. Source failures show an unavailable state, never an invented value.

Depth shading combines measured and estimated terrain. It does not show which cells have been directly surveyed. Not for navigation.

Source documentation Methodology / terms

Sea surface temperature

Foundation sea surface temperature from a multi-sensor, optimally interpolated analysis. This is a gridded analysis, not a measurement at every pixel.

Dataset: MUR25-JPL-L4-GLOB-v04.2
Licence / commercial use: NASA open data; source attribution. Follow the linked provider terms; access does not imply endorsement.
Update frequency: Daily, with processing delay
Access method: Allowlisted WMS tile requests, viewport subsetting and cache. No user API key needed for imagery.
Cost & reliability: Public imagery access; application hosting costs are separate. No upstream availability guarantee.
Fallback: Cached data retain their original dates. Source failures show an unavailable state, never an invented value.

Imagery supports visual exploration. Exact numerical sampling requires the underlying scientific dataset; colour is not converted into a precise value.

Source documentation Methodology / terms

Temperature anomaly

Sea surface temperature departure from the MUR climatology, averaged over 2003–2014. Red is warmer and blue is cooler than that seasonal reference.

Dataset: MUR25-JPL-L4-GLOB-v04.2 · sst_anomaly
Licence / commercial use: NASA open data; source attribution. Follow the linked provider terms; access does not imply endorsement.
Update frequency: Daily, with processing delay
Access method: Allowlisted WMS tile requests, viewport subsetting and cache. No user API key needed for imagery.
Cost & reliability: Public imagery access; application hosting costs are separate. No upstream availability guarantee.
Fallback: Cached data retain their original dates. Source failures show an unavailable state, never an invented value.

An anomaly alone does not establish a marine heatwave. A heatwave requires a defined threshold and duration. This is not a 20-year baseline.

Source documentation Methodology / terms

Chlorophyll-a

Chlorophyll-a estimated from ocean colour. It helps reveal patterns in surface phytoplankton biomass.

Dataset: MODIS Aqua L2 Chlorophyll A
Licence / commercial use: NASA open data; source attribution. Follow the linked provider terms; access does not imply endorsement.
Update frequency: Daily satellite swaths
Access method: Allowlisted WMS tile requests, viewport subsetting and cache. No user API key needed for imagery.
Cost & reliability: Public imagery access; application hosting costs are separate. No upstream availability guarantee.
Fallback: Cached data retain their original dates. Source failures show an unavailable state, never an invented value.

Clouds, darkness and observation gaps leave missing pixels. Coastal turbidity can affect retrievals. Chlorophyll is not oxygen concentration or carbon removal.

Source documentation Methodology / terms

Sea surface salinity

Surface salinity from the SMAP satellite, averaged over an eight-day window.

Dataset: SMAP L3 CAP 8-day running mean
Licence / commercial use: NASA open data; source attribution. Follow the linked provider terms; access does not imply endorsement.
Update frequency: 8-day running mean
Access method: Allowlisted WMS tile requests, viewport subsetting and cache. No user API key needed for imagery.
Cost & reliability: Public imagery access; application hosting costs are separate. No upstream availability guarantee.
Fallback: Cached data retain their original dates. Source failures show an unavailable state, never an invented value.

The selected date represents a multi-day composite, not an instantaneous observation. Coastal and ice-adjacent retrievals require care.

Source documentation Methodology / terms

Ocean currents

Current vectors are planned from a validated ocean physics product.

Dataset: Global Ocean Physics Analysis and Forecast
Licence / commercial use: Copernicus Marine licence; attribution required. Follow the linked provider terms; access does not imply endorsement.
Update frequency: Daily forecast products
Access method: Scientific data access must be validated before activation.
Cost & reliability: Not provisioned; product access and operational costs require review.
Fallback: Cached data retain their original dates. Source failures show an unavailable state, never an invented value.

A numeric velocity field has not been connected. No decorative current animation is presented as data.

Source documentation Methodology / terms

Dissolved oxygen

Depth-resolved oxygen measurements need quality-control flags, units and sampling depth.

Dataset: BGC profiles and ocean biogeochemistry products
Licence / commercial use: Dataset-specific review required. Follow the linked provider terms; access does not imply endorsement.
Update frequency: Source-dependent
Access method: Scientific data access must be validated before activation.
Cost & reliability: Not provisioned; product access and operational costs require review.
Fallback: Cached data retain their original dates. Source failures show an unavailable state, never an invented value.

Oxygen cannot be inferred from chlorophyll or temperature alone. No validated oxygen data are currently connected.

Source documentation Methodology / terms

Under evaluation

The following providers are research candidates, not connected layers or Happy Orbis partners.

GEBCO / Seabed 2030

Global gridded depth and mapping provenance. GEBCO grid is public-domain; numerical ingestion is pending.

NOAA CoastWatch

SST and numerical subsets via ERDDAP. The primary server failed during review; no operational guarantee.

Argo / BGC-Argo

Depth profiles with quality-control flags. Oxygen units and adjusted values must be harmonised.

OBIS / GBIF

Biodiversity observations. Record-level licences and sampling bias must be assessed.

Global Fishing Watch

Fishing activity layers. Commercial access and redistribution terms require verification.

Protected Planet / UNEP

Protected-area data. Commercial redistribution needs dataset-specific licensing review.

IOC-UNESCO / IMO / ESA

Ocean science, shipping and satellite resources. Dataset selection and licence review pending.

Source providers are credited for their data. Their inclusion does not imply a partnership, endorsement or independent verification of Happy Orbis.